Risky Bulletin Risky Bulletin: African freelancers behind anti-US and anti-French disinfo campaigns
Dec 15, 2025
Russia's recruitment of African freelancers for disinformation campaigns against the US and France is spotlighted. Meanwhile, the US may allow contractors to launch offensive cyber operations. Germany points fingers at Russia for a significant air traffic control hack. In cybersecurity news, Apple addresses urgent WebKit vulnerabilities, and South Korea proposes hefty fines for repeat data breach offenders. The podcast also touches on China's research into US power grid vulnerabilities, underpinning the global cybersecurity landscape.
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Russia Uses African Freelancers For Disinfo
- Russia hired freelancers across sub-Saharan Africa to run disinformation campaigns via Upwork.
- The campaigns pushed anti‑US and anti‑French narratives while promoting Russian geopolitical views.
Private Contractors May Run Offensive Cyber Ops
- The US is preparing an executive order to let private contractors conduct offensive cyber operations for the government.
- The Office of the National Cyber Director will push a strategy that also covers post‑quantum crypto and critical infrastructure security.
Germany Attributes Air Traffic Hack To APT24
- Germany blamed APT24, tied to Russia's military intelligence, for last year's hack of its air traffic control agency.
- Officials also accused Russia of ongoing election interference via disinformation campaigns.